Pres Posted September 7, 2020 Report Share Posted September 7, 2020 Hi folks, no new questions in the question pool, so I will pose one for you hand builders. QotW: When slab building, do you use a form , work from a template, or from scratch? I used to teach all ages of children during my career, either HS when in the regular year, or middle school and elementary in Summers and after regular school hours. During this time I taught using slump molds, hump molds, rock forms, and other ways of creating pottery over a form with a slab. I also taught my HS students to do front, side and top projections to base measurements on to create geometric forms like fairy houses and other things. I never taught my favorite way of constructing with slabs which was to do a planning sketch of what I wanted to build and then roll out a few slabs and start working to create the sketch. These usually ended up quite detailed, and at the same time took hours, but as a side project when teaching the kids, it got them to be a little more innovative in their own forms. Once again, I will ask When slab building, do you use a form , work from a template, or from scratch? best, Pres Babs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted September 7, 2020 Report Share Posted September 7, 2020 I started out making pots in cardboard containers like oatmeal boxes and then I moved onto slabs. After a while I wanted to make a series so I started working with hump and slump molds, I even worked with canvas slump molds. Right now I am making tile so I guess I am back to slab. When I finish this project I am going to do some throwing, I am losing the feeling in my fingers on my left hand. This is quite common with people who have MS. Maybe some throwing will help retrain my nerve pathways! Denice Pres and Hulk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeU Posted September 7, 2020 Report Share Posted September 7, 2020 I no longer have the temperament or patience for proper construction w/slabs. I do mostly freeform from scratch or a combo with hump/ slump forms. I am doing more clean and sometimes even straight edges to dishes now because I am in a touristy retail shop. It kind of distresses me tho that people get excited about my key fobs and not ..oh well......go figure! Hulk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted September 8, 2020 Report Share Posted September 8, 2020 2 hours ago, LeeU said: I no longer have the temperament or patience for proper construction w/slabs. I do mostly freeform from scratch or a combo with hump/ slump forms. I am doing more clean and sometimes even straight edges to dishes now because I am in a touristy retail shop. It kind of distresses me tho that people get excited about my key fobs and not ..oh well......go figure! So what do your key fobs look like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted September 8, 2020 Report Share Posted September 8, 2020 All three...depending on what it is that I'm fabricating. Pres and Hulk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeU Posted September 9, 2020 Report Share Posted September 9, 2020 On 9/7/2020 at 9:01 PM, JohnnyK said: So what do your key fobs look like? These are just inventory reference pics-not meant to see the light of day! The current key fobs are held on a spring clip (like for lanyards) and then attached to the ring, to give them some 'swing' and not be too fixed to the ring...I figure that might help prevent breakage-tho so far after a year or so none have broken that I know of. I don't care for the pendants (the cording-can't afford gold or sterling YET, which is how I would prefer to offer them...but people like them & it keeps them inexpensive (i.e. they sell) , so whatta ya gonna do! Hulk and oldlady 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sorcery Posted September 9, 2020 Report Share Posted September 9, 2020 I have a couple templates. I found plastic folders to be excellent material to cut for templates, just came into a bunch so....might make some more! Spending a life of building to exact standards has led me to enjoy eyeballing as much as possible, building things "into the air" as I call it, I was happy to find out the Japanese have a word for it. "Tatara". Sorce Hulk and LeeU 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sorcery Posted September 9, 2020 Report Share Posted September 9, 2020 Sorce Pres 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted September 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2020 Great video source, best, Pres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted September 9, 2020 Report Share Posted September 9, 2020 I don’t usually do a lot of handbuilding involving slabs. But the bits I do are usually Christmas ornaments. I use paper templates to cut the slabs, and then form the pieces into things like trees and fortune cookies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted September 10, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2020 @Callie Beller Diesel, Years ago, probably in the early 80's, I bought a set of cookie cutters themed on the 12 days of Christmas. They were high quality vinyl/plastic and had ribbed decoration to decorate details in the cookies. A little alteration in them made them perfect for slab Christmas ornaments. We only stained them, and added a nice red or green bow to them and gave them to the support staff at the HS for all their service as Christmas gifts. Much appreciated, and I still hang some on our tree. Wish I could find the set, as it got lost in moving years back. best, Pres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeU Posted September 11, 2020 Report Share Posted September 11, 2020 15 hours ago, Pres said: slab Christmas ornaments Funny--this is what I did today with some slab trimming scraps---I'll make hundreds and they will be gifts for the staffs of my favorite local non-profits Hulk and Pres 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted September 11, 2020 Report Share Posted September 11, 2020 6 hours ago, LeeU said: Funny--this is what I did today with some slab trimming scraps---I'll make hundreds and they will be gifts for the staffs of my favorite local non-profits Love the white only board covered by non white clay thingies! Love your decorations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted September 11, 2020 Report Share Posted September 11, 2020 I made some small ornaments several years ago, I cut small holes in the Christmas tree ornaments and then filled the holes with transparent colored glazes. I mixed up a small batch of porcelain clay to use because I wanted the ornaments to be very white. I also made some that looked like old fashion candies and filled small open areas with the low fire glaze. Most people think they are some kind of stain glass ornament on the tree until they get a closer look. Denice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted September 12, 2020 Report Share Posted September 12, 2020 (edited) going to try to post this in the correct sequence. first photo shows the slab that i rolled leaves into and the birds made with craft foam sheets. they are rolled deeply, using a better type roller than the usual pottery pony roller. the entire slab started at a thickness close to a quarter of an inch or about half a centimeter. after rolling, the entire slab is compressed to a thinner profile, making it strong but not bulky. the entire slab, not just where things show. you CANNOT do this with a kitchen rolling pin! i do use a rolling pin after everything is finished just to allow the slab to settle. just below the slab is the tray i use for shaping my tray. i got it from a thrift shop and find they work great as supports if the surface is totally covered with WD-40. i know you might use something else but this is how i work. the second photo shows the slab partially placed inside the supporting tray and a cheese cutter that i use to cut the edges so i can follow the leaf design and use the side of the tray for the center section. the third photo shows a different tray after taking the foam birds out. the edges have been cut and the next step is to use a needle to lift the leaves out of the clay. continued below.... Edited September 12, 2020 by oldlady Babs and Chilly 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted September 12, 2020 Report Share Posted September 12, 2020 (edited) continued from above. sorry, cannot find the next photo, got hundreds and though i had it yesterday, i cannot find it now. will edit this when i find it. found one that will continue though it is not of the birds. can't work it in edit, see below. Edited September 21, 2020 by oldlady Pres and Babs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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